New Carolina Journal Poll shows NC races for President, governor tightening

The latest Carolina Journal poll of likely voters shows the horserace for president and governor in North Carolina is tightening.

Forty-three percent of voters said they would vote for former President Donald Trump, compared to 39% support for sitting President Joe Biden. That’s about a one percentage point drop from last month’s poll. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has the support of 7% of voters.

Margins in the governor’s race between Republican Mark Robinson and Democrat Josh Stein are also closing, with Robinson, the current lieutenant governor, garnering 40% of the vote compared to 38% for Stein, who is the current attorney general. In March, Robinson captured 44% of the vote to Stein’s 39%.

Both Green Party candidate Wayne Turner and Libertarian Party candidate Mike Ross improved their support levels compared to the previous poll — Turner at 1% and Ross at 3%. Around 18% of voters remain undecided.

“Third-party candidates are seeing an increase in popularity this cycle,” said Carolina Journal publisher and John Locke Foundation CEO Donald Bryson. “Only time will tell if this trend continues.”

The GOP saw slight declines in support for generic congressional and state legislative races. Forty-six percent of respondents would pick a Republican congressional candidate while 42% would pick a Democrat. On the legislative ballot, 48% would pick a Republican and 42% would pick a Democrat.

Most voters remain pessimistic about the future of the country, with 64% saying America is on “the wrong track.” President Biden’s approval rating is underwater at 35% compared to 57% disapproving. Meanwhile, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper remains in the green on his approval rating, with 44% giving him a thumbs up and 38% a thumbs down.

Inflation is top of mind for voters. Eighty-one percent said they are spending more on groceries today than a year ago, and 43% said they would be spending less on travel this year.

“Inflation is still a major issue for voters,” said Bryson. “Despite inflation slowing down, the damage is done. Families will likely never again see the grocery prices of the past. Decreased inflation does not equal decreased prices.”

The poll also surveyed voter attitudes on a number of public policy issues. Three-in-four voters say they have not taken part in sports betting and don’t plan to in the future. Sixty-percent support the Opportunity Scholarship Program, and 41% would support increasing funding. On the question of whether students should have smartphones in the classroom, nearly 65% support banning them compared to less than a quarter who think they should be allowed.

The poll surveyed 600 likely general election voters.